White
cops killing Black men; segregated public schools; endemic and systemic Black poverty
and a national narrative that would have us believe that America has entered
into a new idyllic era of "color blindness." Obfuscated and masked by layers of
hypocrisy, carefully crafted pseudo-science, and a willing cabal of "experts" on
race relations, it is admittedly exceedingly hard these days to see the ugly
under-belly of American racism and bigotry.

And
too, as a consequence it's now become an uncomfortable thing for Blacks to
speak about racism, segregation and bigotry since we're supposed to have
crossed that hurdle, especially with the election of America's first Black
President, Barack Obama. Shrewdly, those modern day custodians of American 21st
century racism, who have re-packaged its old, cruder and vicious versions now
come bearing gifts, posing as friends of Black and Brown peoples. This helps to
make Black people and some leaders feel guilty about unpacking and exposing the
ugliness of American racism that is still there -- old, enduring, dangerous and immortal
like Count Dracula undead, non-living but very much alive.

Here's
how the new, modern racism goes. Nationally, America's political leaders, Black
and white, Democrats and Republicans, applaud the nation for having moved
beyond the stigma of racism. They point to a few Blacks, including President
Barack Obama, as "proof positive" that the old days and heyday of the racist
bogeyman has ended.

For
good measure they also throw in a few successful Hispanics to drive home the
notion of color blindness. But here's the trick. The national conversation
about the end of racism and the era of color blindness is exclusively driven,
created and centered on a few success stories that are posited and spun in the
white media as the norm, rather than the exception. These success narratives
are specially designed to be told over and over again to hoodwink a community
not noted for its critical thinking skills.

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And
with every telling they are embroidered a bit more to suit the audience and the
time. The result is that Blacks and Hispanics soon forget the other stories of crippling
poverty, drug addiction, hopelessness, sub-standard education and healthcare
that are all deliberately designed and furthered to "keep Black people in their
place" and to enforce and entrench the rule of the white few.

For
every story of Black and Latino success there are 100 more of failed hopes,
unmet needs, and decaying neighborhoods. These are the stories that are never
told because they are not supposed to be relevant today. No, we must not speak
and give voice to the conditions of an entire generation of children born in
urban ghettos whose fathers and uncles are in jail -- victims of the two-tiered
system of American justice -- one white and privileged, the other Black,
Hispanic and racist. No, we must not speak about the fact that neighborhoods
made dangerous by drugs, high unemployment, and lack of opportunities conspire
to keep decent teachers from our schools and high-end stores out of the area.

In
the face of all this, Black youth are told that if they stay in school, study
hard and apply themselves they will get ahead, as if the playing field is fair
and level. And when Black and Hispanic youths fail they are told that they
failed to rise above the strong pull of the ghetto and did not apply themselves
enough. This kind of condescending approach by both Black and white liberals
about whose fault it is that Blacks and Hispanics can't ditch poverty is based
on the flawed conclusion that poverty is about choice, desire, a lack of
intelligence and not having the coping skills that other races have.

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Poverty
is man made. It is a consequence of stratified society, artificially enforced
and reinforced divisions, and exploitative economic relations. It is also about
racist attitudes and relations of one group within society to another. In the
case of America it is about power and control by white America and the
resulting and accompanying notions of privilege and prestige, and the
powerlessness and lack of value and self-worth ascribed to Blacks by that
power/social relationship. So poverty is a failing of American society.

Those
who would peddle the false narrative of a color-blind society are fooling
nobody. It's not hard to see the realities of American racism, poverty and
segregation. For example, in liberal, Democratic New York City, all one had to
do is look at Manhattan and compare it to Brooklyn. Both are two of the five
boroughs that make up New York City. That's where the similarity ends. Manhattan
is home to millionaires and billionaires, multi-million dollar condominiums,
high-end restaurants, entertainment centers and an affluent largely white
community.

On
the other hand, Brooklyn is Black, immigrant and home to some of the city's
poorest areas.

According
to Diaspora
Community Services (http://www.diasporacs.org) in Brooklyn,
endemic poverty is a daily fact of life - 48% of Brooklyn residents earn below
the federal poverty level and 80% of students are eligible for free or reduced
lunch as reported by public schools. Unemployment in these communities
significantly exceeds borough and city averages with 15.3% in Central Brooklyn
in comparison to Brooklyn's 10.2%. Unemployment among Black males in these
communities is even more pronounced at a staggering 18.3%.

North
Central Brooklyn boasts some of the lowest graduation rates in the City with
only 44% graduating high school. As high as 46% of residents in these
communities live in subsidized or public housing in comparison to 18% for the
borough as a whole.

At
the same time, these neighborhoods are diverse and culturally vibrant destinations
with a strong sense of community. The vast majority of households are of
African American, Caribbean and Latino descent with a large immigrant
population representing their rich cultures. They are proud, hardworking
neighborhoods with strong ties to family, faith and culture.

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And
with all that vibrancy, pride and willingness to do well the deck is stacked
against them. Its here in these communities that the NYPD enforces its Stop and
Frisk policies that disproportionately targets Blacks and Hispanics, as if they
are the only ones who commit crimes. It's here that the failed, racist "broken
windows" NYPD policy is unleashed on poor, Black and Hispanic neighborhoods
with devastating consequences.

And
its here that cops kill Black teens at the drop of a hat and then these victims
are demonized and stigmatized even in death. Much chronic racism permeates all
sections of the United States in a unified, organized and enforced policy that
says that Blacks and Hispanics are of little value. It's the same policy that
allowed a white lawmaker to call America's first Black president a liar on the
floor of Congress and to tolerate the utterly insulting language that white
lawmakers use when referencing the president -- something that they would never
dream of doing to a white president.

That
is the manifestation of white privilege enforced by control and power across
all segments of American society. White is right. It's never wrong. It's the
narrative that celebrates a white-owned newspaper in New York that published a
cartoon depicting the President of the United States as a chimpanzee and the
belated realization by white politicians that they hate Barack Obama because
he's occupying a place that they feel entitled to as of right -- the White
House.

MICHAEL DERK ROBERTS
Small Business Consultant, Editor, and Social Media & Communications Expert, New York
Over the past 20 years I've been a top SMALL BUSINESS CONSULTANT and POLITICAL CAMPAIGN STRATEGIST in Brooklyn, New York, running (more...)